Minutes and usage

Your plan includes a number of minutes per billing period. Every answered call counts toward them by duration, and the agent only answers while the subscription is active. Calls beyond your included minutes are charged at your plan's overage rate.

Running out doesn't switch the agent off. It keeps answering and the extra time is billed as overage, which is deliberate: an agent that stopped at the limit would fail exactly when you were busiest. You also get an email as you approach the limit, so the end of the month isn't a surprise.

The Usage tab

The agent's Usage tab shows minutes used against minutes included, with an estimated overage if you're past the line. That figure is an estimate at your plan's listed rate, not an invoice.

Four of the figures there are worth acting on:

• Peak hour tells you when you're missing calls, which is usually also when it's least convenient to answer them. The most useful number on the page.
• Duration trend shows whether calls are getting longer. They usually are because the agent is working harder to answer things it doesn't know, which is a prompt to fill in more of your business information.
• Duration distribution shows the spread. A cluster of very short calls is usually hang-ups.
• Top contacts is who calls most. Frequently your best customers, and worth knowing by name.

Once a month is enough for most people: check minutes against your plan, glance at the duration trend, and look at peak hour to see whether your forwarding still matches when you're busy.

If you're regularly over

Move up a plan. A higher plan is usually cheaper than sustained overage.

Shorten the calls. The most common cause of long calls is an agent that can't answer and has to take a message instead. Filter to your longest calls and see what they were stuck on.

Forward less. Moving from "all calls" to "when busy" plus "when no answer" means you take the calls you're there for. See getting calls to your agent.